


I was about to change (but you stayed the same)

by ifreet



Category: due South
Genre: Bodyswap, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-18
Updated: 2010-12-18
Packaged: 2017-10-13 18:01:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/140123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifreet/pseuds/ifreet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ray and Frannie get together.  <i>Then</i> things get weird.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I was about to change (but you stayed the same)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dessert_first](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dessert_first/gifts).



> True thanks, post-reveal. Many, many thanks to visionshadows for asking for the better story and for helping me find it. And thank you akarui_rynka for cheerleading exactly when I needed it most.

"I'm sorry, Ray. I'm expected back at the consulate tonight. The Inspector is hosting an--"

"Okay, fine," Ray cut off the longer explanation. 'No' was enough. "Have fun."

There was a brief moment when it looked like Fraser might say something, like he'd have more fun with Ray, but it ended with a nod and turn. Wishful thinking. Ray watched him go.

"I didn't know that," Frannie said, soft voiced beside him. Ray glanced up at her. "That you like guys, too. Or at least Frase."

Luckily, undercover work had trained Ray for just this sort of situation. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Frannie smacked him with the folder she'd brought him before setting it on his desk. "Don't give me that."

He rubbed his arm -- not that it particularly hurt, it was just the principle -- and scowled at her. She put her hands on her hips and scowled right back. After a moment, the ridiculousness of the standoff started to get to him. "We're not talking about this here."

She blinked and glanced around. "Right. I'll get my coat."

Ray ended up bringing her to his apartment, since anywhere else he'd spend the whole time wondering who could overhear what and whom it would get back to. He laid out the take-out they'd picked up on the way while she poked around his apartment. She wandered back to the counter, and he handed her a plate. She took that as her cue to jump right in. "Okay, spill: is it just Fraser?"

Ray became preoccupied with getting the right balance of sweet and sour to rice on his plate. "I don't exactly advertise it, but yeah, there've been other guys. Before Stella. But recently?" Ray shrugged and watched for Frannie's reaction out of the corner of his eye. Frannie just smiled -- not judgmental or mocking or whatever he'd expected. But then his expectations had little to do with Frannie herself.

After a minute, he even managed to smile back at her.

Shortly after that, he found the nerve to ask her, "Doesn't it get to you?"

She raised her eyebrows at him, and he clarified, "Fraser. I mean, flirting with him is like flirting with a brick wall."

Frannie shrugged. "Not really. I figured it was never going to happen ages ago. A woman turns up at a man's apartment in an outfit like that --" Ray really wanted to know what an outfit 'like that' looked like-- "and he not only turns her down but he keeps his eyes above the neck while he does it? Maybe you have a better shot. " She didn't look so much accepting as sad, though.

Ray wasn't sure that he had any sort of chance at all -- there had been a woman at the middle of the mess that got Fraser shot. "But you keep trying?"

"Yeah, well." She tossed her hair. "My brother tried to tell me not to, and no matter what he thinks, he's not the boss of me. And I figure it's good practice -- any move that sends him running is guaranteed to bring any other warm-blooded guy right over."

"True," he said, corner of his mouth curling up.

"Plus, look at him. A girl has to try."

Ray thought of blue eyes and broad shoulders and a maddening kind of personal integrity. "Yeah, he's something else."

Frannie took a couple bites of her General Tso's chicken. "You didn't get the deer-in-headlights look." She sighed. "I always get the deer-in-headlights."

He hid his laugh in a cough. Yeah, that was an accurate description.

"You should ask him out again," she announced.

Ray raised his eyebrows. "No, I shouldn't."

"He could do worse. And I won't have to wonder what 'she' has that I don't if he ends up with you."

He pulled a face at her. "Thank you for that. But no. I don't... I don't think he's interested." He scrubbed a hand through his hair and revised that assessment. "I don't think he even realized that would have been a date." The deer-in-headlights look might not be particularly flattering, but at least it meant he _noticed_.

"So keep trying until he knows."

"But what if he knows, and he's just being Canadian? We have to work together. You know I can't risk the Vecchio-Fraser partnership over this."

Frannie nodded.

***

Ray woke up curled around someone warm and curvy. He opened his eyes to some very familiar dark hair sharing his pillow, without the excuse of a hangover. He'd slept with his cover identity's sister stone sober. Welsh would have kittens over the risk to the cover, and he'd be right.. And if -- no, _when_ it got back to Vecchio, once the man came out from under...

"Your brother is going to kill me," he muttered.

Frannie's elbow poked him in the ribs. "Nice. Just what every girl dreams of hearing."

He pulled her flush to him, partly to prevent a second jab but mostly to enjoy the feeling of her snug against him. Circumstances aside, he didn't actually regret anything. He tightened his arm around Frannie and nuzzled at her neck. After a moment of stiffness just long enough to let him know that the comment had irritated her, she relaxed, nestling against him and tipping her chin up. He obligingly kissed his way up to that spot just below her jawline that seemed to -- yes, she shivered against him. He leaned up, just enough to catch her mouth when she turned to meet his.

It was one of the best mornings he'd had in a long time.

***

Ray cooked her breakfast after they dressed. He caught himself whistling as he worked and caught her smiling at him -- he'd almost forgotten how much he missed this part, too. The having-someone-there part. He sat beside her at the counter to eat. Their knees kept bumping though there was plenty of space.

"Seriously, though, you know this is a bad idea." The reminder popped out of nowhere -- she'd been telling him about her new nudes-less art class.

She took the subject switch in stride and rolled her eyes. "No kidding."

Ray took hold of her wrist, holding it softly until she met his eyes. "Frannie."

She slumped, just a bit. "I know, okay?"

"If anyone figures it out...." He let go of her, ran his hand through his hair. "I mean, best case scenario, the cover holds and you two end up with a weird reputation. But it's not a big jump from relationship to not-relatives, and anyone starts asking around, it puts both covers at risk."

Oddly, Frannie brightened. She slipped off her stool and linked her arms behind his neck. "So we make sure no one figures it out. It's not so weird for me to spend the night at my 'brother's.'"

Ray gave a theatrical shudder. "Okay, rules. Do not call me that when we're here."

"Deal," she laughed and kissed him. She tasted like pancakes and the last of his blueberry syrup. "And we keep things normal at work."

"Right. Normal," he agreed, leaning back in.

***

Ray shook out his arms, cracked his neck, then strolled into the bullpen. He could do this.

Frannie was flirting up at Fraser, practically pressed against his front as she asked him about... something. He shook his head and suppressed a smile. Little did Fraser know. Little _could_ Fraser know. Fraser himself had on that pleasantly blank face he used for deflecting attention -- never mind that it tended to incite the interested to greater heights.

"Hey, Fraser, how was the party? Frannie, I need that file," Ray demanded. He stepped her sideways out of the way and away from Fraser, normal. His hand lingered a moment on her waist which really was not. He let it drop, not too quickly.

"Pushy, pushy." She'd been doing better than he was all day -- giving him back the expected attitude with no more than an extra twinkle in her eye. Maybe she should be the one doing undercover work. She sauntered off, and he tore his eyes away from the sway of her hips.

Fraser was frowning at him.

"What?" he demanded and turned away before Fraser could reply. Because Fraser _would_ reply.

"Nothing," Fraser said, in that not-nothing tone he used when he wanted Ray to keep asking. Ray decided that two could play the oblivious game.

"Good. So do you think the Shakletons are good for the Scott job? Their alibis are a bit..." he rolled his hand, searching for the word "Codependent."

"And they do have motive," Fraser allowed.

"But?"

"Frankly, I'm not sure about the means. Ed's vision appears to be weak and as for James..."

"He's left-handed, but our guy is more likely right-handed."

Fraser raised his eyebrows.

"Hey, I notice things."

"Of that I have no--"

"Here you go," Frannie interjected, leaning right through Fraser's personal space to set the file on Ray's desk. Sheer coincidence that the move put her chest right at eye level for both him and Fraser. Ray's mind immediately supplied him with exactly what that would look like without the intervening fabric. Fraser went very still, afraid of being accidentally inappropriate, probably.

"Frannie," Ray said, shooting for the tone he always used when Frannie pushed Fraser too hard.

"The word you're looking for is 'thanks.'" She straightened and strode away.

"The case?" Fraser prodded.

"Hm?" He turned his attention back to Fraser who was frowning at him again. "Right, yeah, the case." He flipped open the file. "Okay, this is interesting. Scott's partner Roald? Bad news all around." He turned the jacket, inviting Fraser to come over and have a look. Fraser slid his chair next to Ray's, so close their legs pressed together when he bent his head to study the sheet. His finger slid down the list of offenses, pausing half way. He looked up at Ray.

"This is promising," he said, his mouth inches from Ray's own, and for a brief moment, Ray thought Frannie had been just that close yesterday before she kissed him. He pushed his chair back and barked his knee on the desk. By the time he finished cursing, Fraser was standing off to the side, looking down... at the floor, because Dief was making hopeful puppy eyes at Frannie. "Shall we?"

"Yeah."

***

When they dragged back in to the station, Ray was sure Roald was their guy. But he and Fraser had been out of tune all day, their gears not quite catching. Fraser kept niggling at him about stupid stuff, like traffic violations. They asked questions over each other, tangled each others sentences, and finally both zigged while the suspect zagged down to a waiting vehicle. Yeah, Roald was their guy, but they were not going to catch him today.

Fraser was inclined to keep searching. But they'd checked out every good lead and more than a few half-assed guesses, and Ray knew he was frustrated past the point of being useful. Roald's name and description had gone out. Someone would find him.

Ray hung around his desk finishing paperwork, which had Fraser casting some odd looks at him, which in turn had Ray bristling, because hey, sometimes he finished his reports on time. Dief had grumbled something that caused Fraser to turn red and take his leave. Ray waved him off.

Ray debated offering Frannie a ride home, wondered if it would stand out as odd, wished they had previously established a habit of heading out together after work, like he and Fraser did. While he was debating, she slipped out the door, and Dewey decided to mouth off about the Bulls' chances in the play-offs, drawing him into an argument. Chance missed.

Until he got home, and there she was, fidgeting in the hallway.

"I wasn't sure..."

He smiled and reached out to touch her arm. "Is pizza alright?"

They sat on the sofa and ate one of Sandor's pizzas. Frannie had seemed a bit distracted throughout the meal, giving him worried little glances that were, seriously, very unlike her.

Frannie picked at the seam of the cushion for a moment before finally bursting out with, "It didn't bother you today?"

"What didn't?"

"Me, sort of flirtingwithFrase."

"What?" Surprise sent Ray straight up in his seat. "No. Why would it?"

Frannie smiled and seemed to relax for the first time that evening. "No reason."

And Ray thought about guys who knew the line and the ones who didn't. And about an ex-husband no one talked about... and decided he'd better not think about it too much or he'd just upset Frannie again. Given his own history with the green-eyed monster, maybe it was a bit odd, but Frannie and Fraser just... didn't bother him. Frannie was _supposed_ to flirt with Fraser. Frannie had had a thing for Fraser since before Ray had even met her -- and anyway, it _was_ Fraser, who seemed to be the exception to every rule. He slouched back into the cushions. "It'd be weird if you stopped. And anyway, if I refused to date anyone who flirted with Fraser, I'd never date at all."

"Good point." Frannie bit her lip. "Though maybe I should stop. It's not exactly fair to him."

"That he can't take you up on something he wouldn't take you up on before?" Ray pushed the weird irritation down. "No, you're right. Though a Francesca Vecchio who doesn't flirt with Fraser is going to call attention. We should talk to him."

***

Ray slid the last piece of French toast out of the pan. He opened the fridge before remembering they'd used up the blueberry, shut the door and rummaged around in the cabinet instead, looking for the maple syrup that Turnbull had given him after Christmas (along with a whole dissertation on the history of maple farming, syrup production, and whatever else he went on about after Ray stopped listening). He blew the dust off the top, cracked it open and set it on the counter. Frannie walked up, wearing yesterday's skirt and a tiny shirt she'd apparently stashed in her purse.

He waved her to a stool and set a plate in front of her. "So, am I giving you a ride in today?"

She made an agreeing noise around a forkful of French toast. "This is good."

"Thanks. I'm trying to impress someone," he confided as he came around the counter.

"It's working," she said, tipping her head up to give him a slightly maple-sticky, yet dizzying kiss.

Really dizzying. He couldn't remember sitting down, but he could feel the hard cushion beneath him. He opened his eyes, and nearly unbalanced and fell off, because he was staring at himself and that was-- well, impossible, obviously and--

"Ray?!" He didn't normally squeak like that, but that was pretty clearly the voice he left on answering machines. Funny how it never sounded quite the way it did from inside his own head. "Oh my God," Frannie -- it had to be Frannie -- said, lifting a hand to her -- Ray's -- her lips before reaching hesitantly forward to touch his. "We switched."

"No. We're hallucinating. Or dreaming and we'll wake up any minute now." He crossed his arms, uncrossed them when the motion reminded him Frannie's usual body had breasts. She gave him a dubious look and followed it with a fairly vicious pinch. He yelped. "Ow, okay, fine. It's not a dream.

"Do anything to get cursed lately? Turn down a wizard or something?"

She rolled his eyes. "Right, because of the two of us, I'm the one most likely to peeve someone off."

Which might be a fair point, but Ray hadn't been involved in anything too weird lately. Though come to think of it, working a slew of normal cases with Fraser was a bit weird. Apparently, it was time for his luck to break.

They stared at each other. Frannie's wide-eyed disbelief sat weirdly on his face. And it _was_ his face, the same face he saw every day in the mirror -- though slightly off. He wasn't sure whether that was because it wasn't a reflection or if it was something to do with the person behind the face.

Frannie's eyes were flickering over him in turn. She reached out towards his face, slid her fingers over his cheek. "Oh, this is too weird," she said. Out on the street below, a car honked. Frannie jumped and looked at the clock. "We're going to be late!"

"I'm not going to work looking like this!"

"Hey, what's wrong with how you look? Is it the hair?" Her hand crept towards the nape of her neck before she caught herself and dropped it. "I told Katie not to go so short, but--"

"Frannie, focus. Your hair is fine on you -- great, terrific," he corrected when 'fine' caused her lip to push out in a pout, not a good look on his face. "But on me? This is not my style. You think maybe people will notice?"

"Right." Reason prevailed for all of a minute. "You have to go in for me, and I'll cover for you."

"No. Nuh-huh. No. We are staying right here until we figure this out."

"I don't have any sick days. And since you're going in, so am I, to make sure you don't do anything weird."

"You can't run around pretending to be a cop." Her eyes flashed, and her hands landed on her hips. He held up a hand. "I'm not saying -- look, if you wanted to, I'm sure you could be a cop. But not without training."

She nodded, at least somewhat appeased. "I'll get Welsh to put you on desk duty for the day."

"Oh, yeah? How?"

"Please, he's a pushover. Now, you've got to finish getting ready." Ray watched her walk across the room and back -- the stride was smooth and natural. He wasn't entirely sure what he looked like when he walked, but she didn't look wrong. She returned with her purse and removed a make-up bag.

"Do we really need --"

"Do you need to spend all that time on your hair? Now sit."

Ray sat. Frannie directed him to open his eyes wide, look up or look down, close them. It was weird, watching 'himself' work, what should be his eyebrows drawn together in concentration. The brushes tickled, the eye pencil just felt odd, and the lipstick slicked slippery across his lips.

Frannie handed him a tissue. "Blot your lips. What about me? Should I shave?" she asked, rubbing at her chin.

Ray swallowed. "Uh, no. You should be fine for today. I'll do it tonight." Hopefully from within his own body, but what if they hadn't-- "Hell. You have to carry."

"Carry...?"

"A gun. My gun. Goes with the badge and the cool holster."

She shrugged. "I know how to handle a gun." He gave her a dubious look. "Ray made us all take a gun safety class when he joined the force, since he'd have one in the house. I thought it was interesting, so took some lessons. Anyway, I'll be in the station all day."

Ray hesitated, then nodded. It'd have to do.

Frannie gleefully swiped his keys on the way out the door. When he objected, she put her hand on her hip (shot out too far, way too feminine) and pointed out that no one would believe Ray would let her drive his car, which meant she had to. Ray hated riding shotgun. But at least Frannie knew how to handle a stick -- Ray wrenched his mind out of the gutter. She did have an unfortunate tendency to steer the direction she was looking. Which was fine, except she kept turning to look at Ray while telling him yet another essential thing he had to do while he was being her.

But the car was in one piece when they pulled into his space.

Ray thought they collected some odd looks on their way in. They had bigger things to worry about than the rumor mill, though. "You're sure you can get Welsh to put you on desk duty?"

"Yeah, yeah. I've got this." Frannie sauntered into Welsh's office and shut the door. Ray set Frannie's purse down on her desk, and tried to look like he wasn't watching through the window. After a great deal of hand-waving on Frannie's part, Welsh nodded. Frannie flashed him something like a salute then exited the office, giving Ray an unsubtle thumbs up. Behind her, Welsh looked disconcerted.

Ray resolved not to ask.

"Purse goes in the bottom drawer. The small key locks it. I think you should be alright," she said, hesitating dubiously near the desk.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm not the one--"

"On desk duty," she finished, louder than necessary. She watched someone pass behind him then dropped her voice again. "Ok, This was the last piece of advice Elaine gave me before she left. You are a civilian aide, not a secretary. Don't get anybody coffee." She turned and walked away.

"Very helpful," he called to her retreating back. She waved over her shoulder.

Three hours later, Ray hated the computer system with every fiber of his being not dedicated to hating the phone system. Both seemed determined to prevent him from getting anything done, regardless of whether he was quietly researching leads or whether he was attacking Frannie's civilian aide duties. A stack of files had built up on Frannie's desk that wouldn't fit back into the cabinets, which maybe was because he wasn't used to Frannie's lesser muscle mass or maybe was because he had attempted to misfile them -- he thought he knew the system but had been losing certainty as the day wore on. Wandering eyes and conversations directed downwards kept alerting him to the risks presented by shifting fabric. And if one more perp tried to sweetie-baby-honey him, he would not be responsible for his actions.

He hoped Frannie was doing better. Ray had invented a number of excuses to wander back to his usual corner, until she had threatened to stand up on the desk and sing if he didn't stop hovering. Ray had been studiously ignoring her ever since.

Ray heard the familiar sound of Fraser greeting his way up the hallway. The initial, immediate feeling was relief. Followed by panic. He grabbed a folder at random and stood to take it to Frannie. They hadn't told anyone about the switch. Ray couldn't imagine it would help -- at best, he imagined they'd be tied up with the shrink all day, trying to prove that they hadn't gone around the bend together. Honestly, no one seemed to notice, probably because it went against all logic to even suspect.

Fraser for all his logic had a high tolerance for weird, and Ray had been thinking they might need to ask him for help. But Ray hadn't expected Fraser at the station today, and he needed a minute with Frannie to figure out what to tell him.

Naturally, he didn't get it.

"Francesca," Fraser greeted. Back at Ray's desk, Frannie's head shot up, looking as trapped as he felt.

"Hi, Frase," Ray chirped. The middle of the bullpen wasn't the place for revelations. He put a little more effort into his Frannie impersonation and stepped forward into Fraser's space. "I didn't think we'd see you today."

"Inspector Thatcher rather unexpectedly gave me the afternoon off," he replied, perfectly pleasant yet stiff. Ray wondered why -- he'd barely said or done anything to set Fraser's proximity alarms off. Then he remembered that as Frannie, he could -- should -- push a bit.

"That was nice of her." He smiled up at Fraser, a slightly different angle than the usual, and let himself _look_ the way he was always so careful not to. "Tonight, too?"

"Yes." Fraser seemed to wind tighter without actually moving. Oh, he knew when someone was coming on to him. "I suppose it was nice. You seem -- I'm sorry, is something different?"

 _Danger, danger, Will Robinson._ Ray stepped back, lifting his free hand in echo of the gesture Frannie had made that morning. "Is it too short? I told her not to cut too much, but..."

Fraser frowned. "I thought you had it cut last -- " He cleared his throat, tugged at the collar of his uniform. "Your hair looks lovely." He nodded curtly, before continuing on towards Ray's desk. Ray trailed a couple steps back. Frannie shot Ray a look past Fraser, and Ray shrugged.

Ray noted with approval that Frannie had converted the cornered expression into a merely overworked one suitable for paperwork gone missing or a trial date moved up or any of a hundred other things that could go wrong in a day. She waved Fraser into his usual chair, while restacking a number of papers that had been spread across Ray's desk. He winced. Dammit, he had a system. Ray stepped around Fraser and dumped the new folder -- which appeared to be related one of Huey's cases -- onto the middle of the mess. Frannie glanced up at him with the right amount of irritation. 'Coffee,' he mouthed, face turned away from Fraser. He stepped back and smiled brightly at Fraser.

Frannie stood quickly and grabbed his mug. "I'm due for a refill. Too much blood in the caffeine system, you know. Give me a sec?" Ray eyed her. That was her impression of him?

"I'll come with you," Fraser said agreeably. He started to rise, laying one hand on the desk for leverage. The recent weather change must have gotten to his leg. Frannie laid her hand over Fraser's.

"No, no, that's fine. I'll be right back."

"I can bring you something," Ray offered, because Frannie definitely would have. "Coffee? Tea?"

Fraser looked from one to the other, and Ray figured the gig was up. "Actually, I should probably speak with both of you."

Frannie glanced at Ray who gave a small shrug in reply. The break room was at least quieter, if not substantially more private. He led the way, filled mugs for himself and Fraser, and then noticed the lack of furry snack disposal system. He handed Fraser his coffee, then leaned against the counter where he had a good view out the door.

"No Diefenbaker today?"

Fraser glanced at him. "No, but that's not important." Ray raised an eyebrow at him, because half the time with Fraser, 'not important' meant 'actually very interesting but I'm not going to go into it unless you drag it from me,' but Fraser had already already turned back to Frannie. "I owe you an apology for yesterday."

Ray could _feel_ Frannie trying not to look at him. "Really? What for?" she asked, far too brightly.

Ray crossed his arms -- which still felt weird -- and waited.

Fraser rubbed his eyebrow. "I'm afraid I allowed my emotions to interfere with work." He straightened, practically came to attention. "I'm sorry. I won't let it happen again."

Ray raised his hand. "And I'm here for this conversation because...?"

Fraser shifted -- just a bit, but Ray knew he could stand completely still for hours. "Because I needed to apologize to you both."

Frannie caught it, too. "I get why you're apologizing to me about work," she started slowly, glancing at Ray. He nodded, and she finished more confidently, "And it's, you know, accepted. But why are you apologizing to France-- Frannie?"

Again came that small shift in weight. He glanced off to the side and frowned, then sighed and deflated a bit. "Because you are both ... dear to me. And clearly your relationship has changed, and I handled the news badly. I will endeavor to do better."

Ray must have looked as surprised as he felt, because Fraser winced. "I take it Ray didn't tell you I know."

"No, 'I' certainly did not," Frannie said, frowning at Ray. He shook his head and shrugged -- he hadn't known Fraser had figured it out. Frannie pursed her lips, then let it go.

"Ah. Well, I'm sure you had a reason," Fraser said, unhelpfully. Did he want to start a fight between him and Frannie, or was he just utterly clueless about how that would go over?

"What did you say about me yesterday?" Ray directed the question at both of them. Frannie, of course, waved to Fraser to answer.

Fraser looked even more uncomfortable. "It would hardly have been appropriate for him to _say_ anything." Ray shot a vindicated look at Frannie. Fraser's eyebrows drew in slightly at the by-play, but he continued, "However, even though nothing was stated outright, he made it perfectly clear that you were romantically involved."

Now _that_ Ray was curious about. "How?"

"The way he looks at you," Fraser said shortly. "Can we not--"

Ray swore and jerked upright. Through the door behind Fraser, he could see Huey and Dewey bringing in Roald. He started to move toward the door -- and stopped. He couldn't go out there and demand in on the interview. Frannie had to. His eyes swept past Fraser who was watching him with a startled expression. "Hey, Ray, isn't that the guy you were looking for yesterday?"

Frannie blinked at him. Ok, bigger hint.

"Usually, you'd be out there demanding Huey hand him over."

"Oh!" She charged out the door. Fraser turned to follow. "Hey, that's my leash!"

Fraser wheeled around. "Ray?!"

"Uh," Ray said, with feeling.

***

The nice thing about Fraser was that he could be put off with an "I'll explain later." The great thing was that the "later" bought his assistance in maintaining Frannie's pretense and in questioning Roald when Frannie finally wore Huey and Dewey down. Frannie's body had no business near the interview room, so Ray was stuck cooling his heels at Frannie's desk, trying to look busy when what he really wanted to do was ask Roald a few things -- about illegal scavenging operations in Lake Michigan and the cover up and whether he was in any way, shape or form behind Ray's little wrong-body problem.

And then Fraser was returning from interview wearing an expression equal parts bewildered and impressed and with Frannie practically bouncing at his side. Ray met them by his desk, and Fraser filled him in without Ray even having to ask. "We have him definitively on his involvement with the salvage operation. He admitted to knowing where the murder weapon was kept, so homicide charges are likely to follow as well -- however, intent may not be well enough established for murder one. And it seems unlikely that he has anything to do with our other problem."

He nodded. Disappointing, but not unexpected.

"Speaking of which," Fraser said, raising his eyebrows.

"Not something we can really discuss here," Ray prevaricated. "And _someone_ wouldn't take the day off."

Frannie frowned at him. "Fraser knows attendance is an important part of any job."

Fraser started nodding, stopped when Ray cut a glare at him. He cleared his throat. "Of course, it's also important to be fit to do one's work."

She threw her hands in the air. "Fine! I'll ask Welsh to send us both home. Because _that_ won't start any rumors." She stomped off to his office.

"That looks much more like you," Fraser murmured.

"Ha," Ray replied and went to get his purse.

***

Frannie drove them back to the apartment, and they caught Fraser up in the car. Not that there was much to tell him. They'd been themselves; they'd kissed; they'd been each other.

"And you have no idea what precipitated it?"

"Didn't I just say that?"

Fraser looked thoughtful. "Did either of you happen to see a bird when it happened? A large corvid by chance?"

"Inside my apartment?"

"You could have had a window open."

"Who opens a window in this weather?" Fraser looked mulish. "Okay, fine. You might. We didn't have the window open."

"No birds," Frannie agreed.

"I gather this was a breakfast date?" Fraser asked, cheeks slightly pink. He knew Ray didn't believe in breakfast dates. Ray guessed that was the closest he could bring himself to asking straight out if they'd been having sex.

Judging from the warmth that flooded his cheeks in reaction, Frannie blushed fairly easily. Knowing her, Ray would not have expected that. "Yes."

"Hm. The first?"

"No. And it was after, anyway."

Fraser went more red and didn't ask anything else until they arrived.

Back at the apartment, Fraser went over everything. He checked the windows, which were locked tight. He checked the dishes left out from breakfast, picking up each item left behind on the counter and examining them minutely. Ray waited for him to start licking, but apparently nothing needed taste testing. He then followed the trail of clothes into the bedroom. Ray and Frannie shared a look and didn't follow. Ray reached out and took her hand, and Frannie squeezed his.

Fraser didn't come out.

Frannie and Ray traded another look, and Frannie called out, "Frase?"

"Just a moment," he replied. But his voice was -- wrong, choked. Ray was moving before he even thought about it, pulling Frannie in his wake. Fraser was just standing there in the bedroom, staring at the unmade bed. Jesus.

"Hey," Ray said, softly, as though Fraser might spook.

Fraser looked up, blinked at them. In the moment before he got his expression under control, he looked _wrecked_. "I'm sorry, I'll be out in a moment."

"What's really going on, Fraser?"

"I don't know what you mean," Fraser replied, not quite meeting Ray's eyes.

"If this is telling you anything you didn't already know about our switch, I'll eat your hat. Fraser."

"I needed to see."

Ray frowned. "Me and Frannie, you mean." It wasn't quite a question, but Fraser nodded.

"Why?" Frannie asked, frustration right at the surface. "It's not like you've shown much interest before."

"Not int--" Fraser cut himself off with a shockingly bitter laugh. "I'm not _good_ for you. For either of you."

"How do you figure?" Ray demanded.

"I know how distressed your brother was, when he believed we might be," his eyes cut to Ray, and he seemed to debate his phrasing, "seeing one another. His concerns were justified. My love affairs end... badly." Ray could feel Frannie preparing to argue and then felt her eyes on him as she remembered she'd ended up with the wrong guy. As if he wouldn't understand if she changed her mind. "Which was all the more reason to stay away from someone so recently hurt by another." Ray looked up into Fraser's eyes. "I didn't want to hurt you -- either of you. And then you found each other, and you _seemed_ happy and that should have been enough for me. More than enough. But I still wanted--" He closed his eyes.

"Oh, Fraser," Frannie murmured, and she stepped forward to kiss him. When Ray tried to slide his hand free, she interlocked their fingers and refused to let go. It hurt to watch -- almost exactly what he'd wanted, the start point of a hundred fantasies. His first and last kiss with Fraser, and he wasn't even in his body to enjoy it. Eventually, she broke the kiss and turned to Ray. "Don't you start. One emotional idiot is enough."

Fraser looked stunned.

Frannie closed the distance to Ray's lips, slow enough that he could draw back. He didn't. The lips met softly, and his eyes slipped closed. Without sight, the weirdness of it faded or, well, _changed_. Kissing Frannie felt nearly familiar yet still strange, almost like a second first kiss. He pressed closer, free hand awkwardly seeking a place to settle and landing on her chest, flat and masculine.

Ray couldn't help being aware of their audience. Frannie scraped her teeth against his lower lip, and it felt intensely, shiveringly good. "Oh," she breathed in a delighted tone, and she smiled as she pulled away. "Now you two."

Ray looked at Fraser who seemed beyond nervous, which somehow settled Ray's nerves. He stepped closer and kissed him. For a moment, he was sure Fraser was going to jump away, stammering excuses... and then he just _gave_.

Eventually, Frannie squeezed his hand, and he pulled back. "Frase-- Ben. You can't promise not to hurt us if we date. No one can promise that. But not even trying hurts all of us." Frannie turned to Ray. "I think we should try. I think -- all three of us."

Ray tried to give the idea due consideration. It was nuts. It should never work. But the same could be said of pretty much his whole life since he took the Vecchio job. "I'm in."

Fraser tugged at his collar like _that_ was what had stolen his voice, before he nodded.

Frannie made a gleeful noise and launched herself at Fraser. Fraser caught her with a bemused smile. Ray shook his head. "Please don't do that where anyone can see you. It's embarrassing in a grown man."

"I think I know the catalyst for your switch," Fraser said, another confession pouring out in a rush.

"Thought you might," Ray answered, though he hadn't realized it until he said it. For all that Fraser had said he'd let his emotions get in the way earlier, there's no way he'd let himself get hung up over him and Frannie unless he'd already worked it out. "Do you know how to fix it?"

"I think so."

"Actually..." Frannie said, then bit her lip.

After a moment, Fraser prompted, "Yes?"

"It's just -- I mean, unless it _has_ to be now, because I like you, Ray, really, but I don't want to be you. But still, aren't you curious?"

"Curious?" Fraser asked.

Ray's eyebrows shot up. "Why, Francesca Vecchio," he said, in his best imitation of his mother's shocked voice, and she swatted at him with their joined hands even as she hid her face Fraser's neck. Fraser still looked puzzled. Ray shifted closer, slid his hand into Fraser's hair, and murmured into his ear, "You know. _Curious._ " He moved back in time to see understanding dawn. "So. Is there a reason we need to change back right away?"

Fraser's mouth worked silently for a moment. "I don't believe so."

Frannie's eyes met Ray's. "Good. Tell us how later," he said, then Frannie's lips caught Fraser's again.


End file.
